GRAFTAGE 



111 



THE IMPORTANT POINTS IN ALL GRAFTING 



Plants which can be grafted have a layer of bark covering the 

 wood. Usually this bark, at least on the young branches, will peel 

 from the wood. It is absolutely essential that the tissue between 

 the bark and the wood of both stock and cion be in contact. This 

 is known as the cambium layer, and that of the cion should touch 

 the cambium of the stock at as many points as possible. It has the 

 ability to grow wood tissue from its inner side and bark from the 

 outer; by thus knitting together the tissues heal over nicely. 



After the graft is made, especially in outdoor work, the entire 

 cut surface of both stock and cion must be waxed over to check 



evaporation from the tissues. 



Grafts may be made: (1) upon seed- 

 lings, a method especially used in prop- 

 agating horticultural varieties of orna- 

 mental trees and shrubs; (2) upon young 

 trees, as with Apples and other fruits; 

 (3) upon the trunk and branches of 

 older trees; (4) upon roots; or (5) 

 upon the crown of a plant. 



WHIP OR TONGUE GRAFTING 



Whip grafting is largely used when 

 working on small stocks. Both the 

 stock and cion are cut diagonally; the 

 cut should be long and straight. A 

 vertical cut is then made in both. 

 Practice will show that this cut must be 

 made a trifle to one side of the middle 

 of the diagonal cut. The two parts 

 are fitted together as shown in fig. 52. 

 Care must be taken to have the cam- 

 bium layers in contact. If the stock is 

 larger in diameter than the cion, the cion 

 must be placed at one side. The union 

 is then wrapped with waxed string or 

 raffia. The waxed string used is No. 18 

 knitting cotton, the balls being soaked 

 in melted grafting wax and laid away to 

 dry. This string is just weak enough 

 to be broken by the hands. In whip 

 grafting Pears, it seems best to wax the 



A B 



Fig. 52. Whip or tongue 

 grafting. A, Stock and 

 cion properly cut. B, The 

 parts fitted together and 

 wrapped with waxed string 



